Coalition for the Homeless Statement on the Passing of Mayor Ed Koch

“When New York’s homeless crisis first exploded in the 1980s, Mayor Koch initially failed to address it. But once he understood the magnitude of the problem, he responded with an unprecedented housing plan to tackle the epidemic. Koch’s ‘Housing New York’ built and repaired more than 150,000 homes over ten years and, crucially, set aside 10% of them for homeless New Yorkers, contributing to sharp reductions in family homelessness in the late 1980s.”

“Koch understood what the current administration has clearly forgotten: that homelessness CAN be reduced with access to permanent, affordable housing. As the homeless crisis now soars to nearly double that of the 1980′s, it’s imperative that our current mayor remember the lessons of Ed Koch: Access to life-saving shelter is essential, but investment in and access to permanent housing is the real solution. Every New Yorker deserves a home.”